A Festive Break in Berlin

Christmas markets, glühwein, lebkuchen, nutcrackers and chestnuts – just a few things that spring to mind when I think about Christmas. The thing, or rather the place, that connects them all being Germany. Having spent a year in the Vaterland whilst at university, I had managed to visit and tick off a number of Christmas markets across Germany but there was one place in particular that had somehow escaped me. Berlin. So with some time off, and  money to spare, plus a handy expat-friend living in the city, I booked myself a festive break in Berlin.

Let me tell you about my trip..

Day One

Touching down in Berlin’s Schönefeld airport, my lovely friend Rebecca met me off the plane, and together we navigated our way back into the city centre. After dropping my suitcase off in her flat we decided it was time to grab something to eat and so we set off towards Burgermeister in the hipster neighbourhood Kreuzberg, which Rebecca promised me would provide one of the best burgers of my life.

Located beneath the railway tracks close to Schlesisches Tor and between two busy roads, Burgermeister is certainly one of the most unique burger bars I have ever visited and it is so very Berlin. The burgers are pretty damn good too..!

After filling ourselves up with burger, we decided to burn off some calories by exploring the neighbourhood. With plenty of street art, alternative bars, boutiques and eateries, Kreuzberg is right up my street, and I could have spent hours taking pictures of the grungy-chic streets and artwork stencilled onto walls and doorways.

It was not long before my art appreciation could continue, as back across the River Spree we arrived at the end of the famous East Side Gallery, a 1.3km length section of the Berlin wall which nowadays displays politically loaded artwork from various global artists.

Having strolled the length of the gallery, and taken in the many pieces, we hopped aboard an S-bahn bound for the centre of town. We exited the train at Hackescher Markt, a square in the Mitte area of town which is surrounded by all sort of cafes and restaurants, as well as a number of high street shops.

It wasn’t the shops or restaurants we were looking for though, but instead, a rare example of art nouveau architecture which I had stumbled across when researching my trip. Just across the street from the S-Bahn station we found what we were looking for through the arched entrance at Rosenthaler Straße – Hackesche Höfe.

Although there isn’t a great deal to see, Hackesche Höfe is a collection of eight connected courtyards, and home to various shops and galleries. The main attractions are the Chamäleon Variety Theatre housed in the original wine tavern, and an original ceiling from one of the banqueting rooms in the large Hackescher Hof Restaurant immediately to the left of the entrance.

Whilst wandering through the courtyards we came across a lovely little chocolate shop and couldn’t resist being drawn in to salivate over the delicious goodies inside!

We eventually made it out of the courtyard-maze and emerged into Sophienstraβe, which was lined with a number of festive stalls selling everything from the tradition Glühwein to less traditional woollen figures.

By this time our stomachs were beginning to rumble, and so after a little bit more walking, we began the search for a quirky café where we could indulge in a slice of cake and a warm drink. Our wish was soon granted as we spotted an artisan coffee shop less than one hundred metres down the road. Once inside, and defrosting from the minus temperatures outside, we ordered our afternoon treat – between us we enjoyed a fresh mint tea, a latte and a slice of hazelnut cake.

Following our coffee stop,, we continued on our stroll with no particular destination in mind and eventually found ourselves at the far end of Unter den Linden, which was beautiful decorated with white fairy lights entwined around the trees. We decided that, despite the walk, it would be rude not to do a little sightseeing, and so headed ever onward to the iconic Brandenburg Tor.

To finish off our evening, and to get into the Christmas spirit, we visited two of Berlin’s Christmas Markets. The first was my favourite, Gendarmenmarkt, nestled between three of the city’s most impressive buildings – the German and the French Cathedral and Schinkel’s Konzerthaus – and located in what is often described as Berlin’s most beautiful square. We spent a good hour or so wandering around, looking at the stalls bursting with goodies and stopping for a glühwein and a Nutella pancake along the way to warm up.

Our final stop of the evening was the markets at Potsdamer Platz. Despite the market’s location, the organisers do a great job at making it feel traditional, basing it on an Austrian-style market, with log cabins and a crafts market. Along with plenty of Christmas stuff and foods, visitors can also enjoy a large toboggan ride and a 500 square metres open-air ice rink.

Day Two

My second day in Berlin was to be one of historical sightseeing. My friend was off to work and so I decided to do a few things I had not yet done in Berlin, despite having visited the city several times.

To start off my morning, I made for the Brandenburg Tor once again which looked as magnificent as ever, even on a grey and cloudy morning.

From the gate, I made my way to the Reichstag building. Despite the bitterly cold temperatures, the green spaces out the front were pretty packed with tourist groups, and I had to wait quite some time to take a photo, uninterrupted by fellow visitors.

On my way back toward the Brandenburg gate, I stopped off at the Sinti and Roma Memorial on the edge of the Tiergarten. The monument is dedicated to the memory of the 220,000 – 500,000 people murdered in the Porajmos – the Nazi genocide of the European Sinti and Roma peoples.

From the Tiergarten I veered right, and soon arrived at my next stop, the Holocaust Memorial. I had seen the memorial a few times on previous visits, but had never actually spent any time walking through the huge labyrinth of grey  stone columns. It is not until you enter into the memorial itself that you really take its size and magnitude into consideration.

Feeling a little sombre I decided it was time for a pick-me-up and bee-lined for Potsdammer Platz, just down the road. A wander through the festive markets, and a cup of coffee inside the beautiful decorated shopping centre, did the trick and I was soon ready for action.

My afternoon was then spent inside two of Berlin’s many museums – Topography of Terror, which chronicles the horrors and atrocities of the Nazis, and is located on the site of the SS Headquarters, followed by the Jewish Museum, which documents Jewish history, and also features collections of Jewish art.

My final cultural stop of the day was Checkpoint Charlie, the best-known Berlin Wall crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War.

After a small bite to eat, I began to make my way across the city to Kurfürstendamm, Berlin’s version of the Champs Élysées, where Rebecca and I had planned to meet. The huge avenue is lined with shops and restaurants, and at Christmas time, its many trees are lit up with fairy lights and a number of brightly coloured Christmassy figures appear.

Rendez-vouzing outside KaDeWe, the city’s iconic department store, we made up way up along the boulevard as far as Breitscheidplatz, the location of yet more markets and of course the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church. We spent some time in the surrounding markets before hopping on the bus and heading for a more traditional location – the markets of Schloss Charlottenburg.

The beautiful and festively-lit Baroque setting gives the market an almost magical atmosphere. The market offers high quality handicrafts as well as historical rides like swings, carousels, and swing-carousels for children and vintage fans alike. Whilst we didn’t try out any of the rides, we spent a good hour or so enjoying the different stalls along with the festive music supplied by a small brass band.

It was soon time to call it a night and so we jumped aboard a bus back in the direction of Rebecca’s flat. Our final stop of the evening was a typical Photoautomat, as I was determined to return back to England with a vintage souvenir! The analogue photo booths and hipster-souvenir-suppliers were reintroduced to Berlin back in  2004 and are now scattered around the city – we managed to stumble across one just across the street from the East Side Gallery.

Day 3

I decided to take things a little easier on day 3. It was grey and misty outside and the weather app on my phone informed me that it was -5 degrees. I was certainly not going to rush outside.. definitely not before a number of cups of tea anyway!

I eventually got myself moving just before midday. I made the short walk across the Oberbaumbrücke into Kreuzberg, and began the search for Markthalle Neun where Rebecca and I had agreed to meet for a bite to eat during her lunch break. This trendy marketplace sprinkled with fairy lights is a hotspot for Berlin foodies and is home to all sorts of cuisine; from Asian and African, to German classics like Könisberger Klopse and Semmelknödel. Definitely my sort of place!

Rebecca and I spent some time looking around the various stalls, salivating over the delights that were offered. In the end we opted for something quick and easy – a little pie from a New Zealand deli. I can’t remember exactly what the content of mine was, but I do remember that it was very tasty!

Once our appetites were satisfied, it was time for Rebecca to head back to work and for me to begin my day’s exploring. I had a few things to tick off my ‘to see’ list so began by hopping aboard the S-bahn and making my way to Gendarmenmarkt. The atmosphere was a little different to when we visited the markets two nights before, with the grey and dreary sky, hanging low.

From Gendarmenmarkt I spent some time wandering down side streets on the search for any hidden gems, but it soon got too cold for aimless wanderings so I decided it was time to head for somewhere warmer.

Before long I found myself on Museeninseln looking up at the splendid Berlin Cathedral with its pale green dome.

It was too cold to hang about for any period of time, so I kept walking and headed in the direction of the Nikolaiviertel. This quaint area on the eastern shore of the river Spree is often referred to as ‘the first Berlin’ as it was one of two settlements that merged together to form the city of Berlin. The area gets its name from the Nikolaikirche, the city’s oldest church, and is essentially the heart of historic Berlin.

Once I had finished discovering the car-free streets and had peered into a number of small shops offering souvenirs, I turned towards Alexanderplatz where I was due to meet up with Rebecca. I was a little early, so I took the opportunity to do a bit of Christmas shopping in department store Kaufhof and the neighbouring shops. During my wanderings I came across the World Clock, which if read carefully, determines the current time in 148 major cities around the world.

Our adventure for the evening however was not in Alexanderplatz, and so once again, we hopped aboard the S-bahn and travelled to the Brandenburg Gate where we took a short walk through to the far corner of the Tiergarten until we reached the Reichstag. I had always wanted to go up into the glass dome, and so a few weeks in advance of my trip, had booked our time slot.

Our slot was booked for 6.30, so as expected, it was pretty dark when we arrived and more so when we got to the top of the dome. With the lights on inside, and reflecting glass surrounding us, it felt almost as if we had entered an alien spaceship hovering over the city. Despite the fact it was dark outside, the views were great, as the whole city was a sea of light, and surprisingly you could see a lot of the major landmarks quite clearly. Another advantage of the relative darkness was the ability to look down through the dome’s interior to the parliament below, where rows of blue seats were set out, ready for all of Germany’s VIPs (Very Important Politicans) to meet.

Once we had climbed to the top of the dome and then explored the terraces outside, we decided it was time to call it a night and head home for dinner.

Day 4

My final full day in Berlin arrived far too quickly, and I was determined to make the most of it. My plan for the day was to tick off some of the ‘hidden gems’ I had discovered whilst researching my trip, and typically, they were pretty spread out across the city.

After the obligatory walk across Oberbaumbrücke into Kreuzberg, made especially nice by the morning sunshine and blue sky, I travelled across the city once again to Gendarmenmarkt.

From there I popped into the department store Galerie Lafayette just around the corner, in the hope of admiring their Christmas decorations, but was a bit disappointed to just find a collection of hanging baubles in various sizes.

My disappointment was however negated when I discovered the nearby Ritter Sport shop, with its colourful stack of chocolates. I couldn’t resist a look in the shop and may have exited with a purchase or two!

My next stop was somewhere I had spotted on Instagram and was desperate to visit myself. House of Small Wonder is located on the quiet Johannisstrasse and is the second of its kind after the flagship café in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. You should all know by now that I am a big fan of New York Brooklyn, and with somewhere looking as quaint and cosy as this place, I had to visit.

I only stopped for a cup of coffee but the menu has a variety of Japanese influences and where possible, Japanese flavours. With such a homely and welcoming atmosphere, along with a delicious menu, it is not a surprise that House of Small Wonder is an extremely popular place for breakfast, lunch and as well a coffee stop.

From Johannisstrasse, I meandered through the interesting neighbourhood which was obviously undergoing plenty of redevelopment. Where buildings had been knocked down, street artists had adorned the naked walls with their work, and the streets were made up of a eclectic mix of architectural styles.

I eventually found myself back in Alexanderplatz, and after a quick look around the Christmas Markets by the Altes Rathaus, decided to pop into the nearest café for another warming drink. Whilst I was sat inside, defrosting my hands, the weather slowly began to improve and by the time I was ready to go again, the skies had transformed from a mid-grey tone to a bright shade of blue!

I made the most of the improved weather to stroll around the area and take some photos whilst it was still light, and gradually found myself gravitating ever closer back towards the Berlin Cathedral. I was semi-tempted to go inside and climb to the top of the tower, for what I’ve been told is an amazing view, but I decided I was too nervy to go by myself, due to my fear of heights, and chickened out.

Instead I decided to spend the remainder of my afternoon educating myself in the DDR Museum on the opposite side of the Spree to the cathedral. I must have spent a good hour and a half walking through the interactive museum (which is great by the way), as when I re-emerged into the open, dusk was falling and it had once again become somewhat cloudy and overcast.

It was once again time to meet up with Rebecca and our final night’s destination together was in Potsdamer Platz where we had arranged to meet a mutual friend for dinner. The evening was spent catching up, stuffing our faces with tasty food and, once we got back to the flat, packing.

Somehow my four days in Berlin were up and the following morning I boarded my return flight. Visiting Berlin at Christmas time had been great fun – I loved visiting the markets and getting in the festive spirit with glühwein and delicious Lebkuchen, and my trip had reintroduced me to Berlin, its sights and multitude of museums, many of which I still feel I have barely scratched the surface of.

Did you enjoy my posts on my trip to Berlin? Have you ever visited the German capital, either in winter or another time of year? Would you consider booking up a festive break of your own next winter? Do let me know in the comments below!

Love V x